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Newsletter: Jan – Mar 2013

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Neighborhood Watch Program in the Works – Join the Cause

Are you concerned with the amount of crime taking place within the Country Lakes neighborhood? Overall, we live in a safe community surrounded by law-abiding citizens. At monthly board meetings, we are alerted of the crimes that do take place (mostly break-ins of homes, vehicles, theft, and vandalism), and any progress the Sheriff’s department has made in tracking down the culprits.

We are in the beginning stages of taking our own steps toward community crime prevention! If you would like to know more about joining this cause, please contact us at 301-884-7297 and leave a message, including your name and phone number.  We can’t make a change without the help of you, our neighbors! So, please join us!

Help us Clean up the Neighborhood on April 27

We welcome Spring, the dandelions blooming, the birds chirping, the trash lining the roadways…wait, that trash is not supposed to be there! With the help of our board members, we have decided to take a step towards cleaning up our community! We have set up a “Community Clean Up” day on Saturday, April 27 (with a rain date of May 11).

Volunteers and community service workers will be on hand to help pick-up the litter on our main entryways, with heavy focus on the areas near the park. Join together with your families and neighbors to pick up the litter on your street. If we all help out, our community can become a more beautiful place, street by street.

What a good way to get some exercise and meet your neighbors. We hope you will participate (even if only on your own street) on Saturday, April 27 and work with us to continually keep our neighborhood clean!

Note: Your kids may be able to submit their community service hours for school. Check with the school to be sure!!

Upcoming 2013 Community Events

2013 CLHA Board Meetings – Join the Discussion

Our Board Meetings are being held every four weeks on Tuesdays at the Christ Church Parish Hall on Zack Fowler Rd. in Chaptico. Once the weather breaks we will move the location to the park pavilion for the summer months.

Upcoming meeting dates for the second quarter of 2013 are as follows:

  • April 16,
  • May 14, and
  • June 11.

All meetings are at 7pm and last about 2 hours. All residents of the community are welcome at these meetings.

Community Clean Up

The very 1st CLHA Community Clean Up date is set for Saturday, April 27. You can contribute by joining us near the park or picking up the trash on your own street.

Community Yard Sale

On Saturday, May 18, we are hosting the community yard sale. We will post signs in the community and on somd.com. Feel free to set up in the parking lot at the park on a first come, first served basis. You can also use your own yard. Sale time is 7am to 12 noon.

Dumpster Day

This event is scheduled for Saturday, June 1 at the parking lot. We will provide multiple dumpsters, including one for metals. Bring your leftover, non-donatable items from the Yard Sale and we’ll haul them away for you. Certain items will not be accepted, such as tires, hazardous materials, and yard debri. Your dues must be current to participate.

Special Announcements

Web Forms for Reservation Requests

Our new web site was launched in early January. We hope you are enjoying the new look and new features. We have provided you with an easy, more streamlined way to request to reserve the pavilion or lighted sign, and also to check your dues status or ask any other HOA-related questions. You can find the various forms on the website, each of which guides you through the information we need to provide a thorough response. Happy ‘Surf’ing!

Voicemail Notice from the President

The CHLA voicemail line is available to all residents for any inquiries regarding the community and HOA. We request that you please provide your name, address, and return phone number slowly and clearly in your message. PLEASE NOTE: Messages are checked on a weekly basis, so allow for a week for someone to return your call. If you want a quicker response, use the web forms.

Upcoming Repairs to the Park Pavilion

We are in the process of approving a quote to replace numerous support poles at the pavilion. Construction on the pavilion will require it to be out of commission for at least three days. We will post a message on the lighted sign when construction begins. You will also notice yellow construction tape blocking any entrance onto the cement floor of the pavilion and surrounding areas. Stay tuned.

Painting the Playground

The metal playground equipment will undergo a facelift in the next few months. We will be painting the surfaces to provide a “cooler” environment for your children during the summer months. That metal can get very hot, so we are trying to reduce that problem and give the equipment a new, fresher look as well. Enjoy!

Advertise With Us

You have always been able to advertise in our quarterly newsletters. The redesign of our web site has created another opportunity for you to advertise your business with CLHA. The newsletters are distributed electronically and only to Country Lakes residents, but the web site is a public domain accessible on a much broader level. We are offering monthly ad spots to residents (and non-residents) at a small fee of $50/month. We are working on an information page for the web site that will provide you with additional information on how to advertise. In the meantime, please contact webmaster@clha.org if you are interested.

Event Signs on Cox and Yowaiski Mill

We understand many of you don’t pass the lighted sign at the park on a daily basis, so we have started posting event signs at the entrances on Cox Drive and Yowaiski Mill Road so everyone can stay informed about upcoming events. We will post the signs about a week before any scheduled event. We hope you will come out and participate with the community!

Report ALL Crimes in the Neighborhood

If you become a victim of any crime in the neighborhood, no matter how small, please report it to the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Department at 301-475-8008. Some of the culprits have been proven to be responsible for mulitple crimes in the neighborhood. The more information the Sheriff’s Department knows, the better. Thanks for your help.

Thefts from Motor Vehicles

In 2012, over 500 incidents of thefts from vehicles were reported in St. Mary’s County. The vast majority of the vehicles entered had been left unlocked by the victims and valuables often in plain view were stolen. Some of these incidents have occurred in Country Lakes. The Sheriff’s Office has created a brochure full of tips and information on ensuring the safety of your vehicles and personal items. It also provides important contact information related to neighborhood watch programs, crime solvers, and the Sheriff’s Office. The overall motto is “Lock it or Lose it”.

For additional information, download the brochure.

School Bus Accident in Country Lakes

ALERT: Please be mindful of school buses in the neighborhood during the morning and afternoon hours. The speed limit throughout the neighborhood is 25 MPH in most places. Help to keep our neighborhood kids safe while entering and exiting buses each day…

Posted on the Mechanicsville Volunteer Fire Department Website:

January 4, 2013: At 0839 hours Rescue Engine 22 and EMS Station 29 was alerted to Yowaski Mill Road at Tanyard Drive for the motor vehicle accident involving an occupied school bus with no injuries reported.

Engine 22 arrived on the scene to find a passenger vehicle versus a Type “C” school bus in a rear end style collision and established the command.

Engine 22 found eighteen students on board the bus with no injuries. The drivers of both the school bus and the passenger vehicle were also uninjured. The Board of Education had already been notified by the school bus driver.

Ambulance 297 obtained a patient care refusal from the driver of both vehicles, as well as a mass care refusal from the students and released them over to the SMCPS Board of Education representatives on scene.

Units operated on the scene for approximately twenty minutes.

Newsletter: Oct – Dec 2012

Welcome to our 4th Quarter 2012 newsletter, which contains a wrap up of events occurring between October and December 2012 and a preview of upcoming events for 1st Quarter 2013.

2012 Winners of the Christmas Decorating Contest are …

36974 David Drive
26869 Kelli Court
37045 West Spicer Drive

On Dec. 12 the CLHA board judged all the decorated homes in the neighborhood and awarded the above addresses with the 2012 titles of Best Decorated Homes in Country Lakes. Each homeowner received a certificate, a sign to post in their yard, and FREE 2013 HOA dues! Thank you to everyone that participated.  It really is a joy to see all the beautifully decorated homes each holiday season!

Santa’s Visit at the Park

On Dec 9, Santa made his annual visit to the Country Lakes park pavilion. Approximately 100 kids stopped by to tell Santa what is on their list this year. They enjoyed hot cocoa, snacks, candy and small gifts.

Trunk or Treat – More Kids Than Ever

Despite the storm before Halloween, CLHA was able to hold its annual Trunk or Treat event in the parking lot at the park on Oct 31. More kids than ever before attended this year’s event, with a running tally of over 400 characters of all kinds … bumble bees, princesses, scary monsters, spider men and more! We also had a few furry friends this year, including a hot dog and a ladybug.

A special thank you to all “trunkers” who set up and handed out candy and also to the CLHA board for working together to make sure our neighborhood kids didn’t miss out on the fun of Halloween night.

Do You Have a Facebook Account?

Are you thinking of joining Facebook, but aren’t quite sure how it works?  It’s a great tool to keep in touch with friends and family and also to stay informed with what’s going on in the Country Lakes community.  And best of all, it’s FREE.

How to Join Us … 107 Neighbors Interacting

Go to www.facebook.com in your web browser.  If you don’t already have a Facebook account, you will need to create one in order to interact. Don’t worry, accounts are free and set up is easy. Once you have joined Facebook and are logged in, enter CLHOA in the search bar at the top of your page. Click on Country Lakes Homeowners Association in the search results. Doing so will direct you to our Facebook page. From there you can click the “like” button on the right side, near the top. This will add our posts and comments to your “Newsfeed” so you can stay informed of community events and information.

“Liking” our Facebook page not only allows you to see what we are posting, but it allows you to post comments on our page, interact with other neighbors on our page, view pictures of recent events, and ask us questions at anytime. We monitor the page daily and respond quickly to your questions and concerns.
We look forward to interacting with you soon at www.facebook.com/CLHOA. For additional information and help with using Facebook, visit http://www.facebook.com/help/?ref=pf

Upcoming 2013 Community Events

2013 CLHA Board Meetings – Join the Discussion

Our Board Meetings are being held every four weeks on Tuesdays at the Christ Church Parish Hall on Zack Fowler Rd. in Chaptico.

Upcoming meeting dates for the first quarter of 2013 are as follows:
January 22,
February 19, and
March 19.

We hope to change the location back to the park pavilion by the April meeting. It all depends on the weather. All meetings are at 7pm and last about 2 hours. An officer from the county Sheriff’s Department attends all meetings and provides important updates about happenings in the community. All residents of the community are welcome at these meetings. Your comments and suggestions for improving the community are always welcome, so please join us at anytime.

Community Yard Sale

It seems like a long time from now, but our next CLHA event is the Community Yard Sale on Saturday, May 18. Start organizing your items now to ensure a successful sale day in May.  Feel free to set up in the parking lot at the park on a first come, first served basis. You can also use your own yard. Sale time is 7am to 12 noon.

Dumpster Day

This event is scheduled for Saturday, June 1 at the parking lot. We will provide multiple dumpsters, including one for metals. Bring your leftover, non-donatable items from the Yard Sale and we’ll haul them away for you. Certain items will not be accepted, such as tires, hazardous materials, and yard debri. Your dues must be current to participate.

Special Announcements

HOA Dues are Increasing in 2013

We would like to announce that our CLHA dues will increase by 5% for the upcoming 2013 season, and late payment and returned check fees will be $10. We have gone a few years without increasing the rate, but feel this minimal increase is necessary to keep up with the rising expenses we have as a community, including the upkeep of the park, insurance, community events, and more. The new rate will be $40.37, only $1.92 more than the current rate.

Event Signs are Now Being Posted

We understand many of you don’t pass the lighted sign at the park on a daily basis, so we have started posting event signs at the entrances on Cox Drive and Yowaiski Mill Road so everyone can stay informed about upcoming events. We will post the signs about a week before any scheduled event. We hope you will come out and participate with the community!

Report ALL Crimes in the Neighborhood

Cars are being broken into rather frequently, and occasional property damage and home break-ins have also been reported. If you become a victim of any crime in the neighborhood, no matter how small, please report it to the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Department at 301-475-8008. Some of the guilty subjects have been proven to be responsible for multiple crimes in the neighborhood. The more information the Sheriff’s Department knows, the odds of neighborhood cases being solved are much better.

Tips for a Safe and Enjoyable Holiday Season

Schedule a Vacation “Premise Check” – It’s Free

St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Department will do FREE premise checks for you while you are out of town. If you are going away for the holidays, call for more information: 301-475-4040.

Break Down Boxes for Trash Pick Up

Are you or the kids getting something extra special from Santa this year? Don’t forget to break down the box in which the item was enclosed before taking it out for trash pick up. You can also drop them off at the public dump, free of charge.  The nearest ones are on Rt 6 in New Market and on Horseshoe Rd in Clements. Avoid attracting the unwanted attention of thieves during the holiday season.

Watch Your Pets Around Your Holiday Plants

Poinsettias are mildly toxic, but not as worrisome as yuletide plants such as holly berries and mistletoe. These two festive decorations are toxic to dogs and cats, so be sure they are out of reach of your furry friends!

Real Christmas Tree? Keep it Watered

There are 250 Christmas tree fires and 14 related deaths each year, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. The combination of shorts in electrical lights and a tinder-dry tree can be deadly. So keep your tree well-watered. Not only will it stay fresh and green, but it might also keep your house from burning down.

Newsletters are published 4 times a year. View the “archives” to find past newsletters!